This is a bit last minute, but the topic is an important one and/or could be useful to people interested in this field so here goes:
The Brooklyn Arts Council will feature a pannel discussion this evening, Tuesday November 17, about Earned Income Projects.
What is so interesting about this topic, you might ask?
Well.. a few things. First, not-for-profit organizations tend to offer services free of charge. Not-for-profit organizations also tend to have different business models than for profit ventures due to the nature of their incorporation framework and/or rules that govern their operations because of their 501c3 status (this is the status given to not-for-profits to indicate that they are legitimate organizations which can receive tax deductable donations).
But here's the catch-22 ... if you are providing services without charging a fee, you still have to get financing from somewhere to cover your costs of operations/materials/rent/ etc. But again.. if you are not charging a fee.. where do you get this funding? This is where grants and donations come into play, however funding streams are often unstable due to the nature of grants and donations... i.e. grants expire at a sertain time and you must continuously seek out new funds to replace those that will end. Donations are also unstable as you can't guranttee the success of your fundraising campaign.
To address this issue, various organizations have started for-profit operations that would fund their non-for-profit activities; charge a nominal fee to help with costs; or even completely convert to a for-profit social enterprise.
Each route has its own benefits/setbacks but it will definately be interesting to hear the Brooklyn Arts Council panel's take on this issue.
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Here are the logistical details for the event:
Title: Seminar: Earned Income Projects
Location: Brooklyn Public Library, Williamsburg Branch
240 Division Ave. (at Marcy Ave.) Brooklyn, NY
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM EST
Cost: Free
RSVP: http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/documents/1274
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